This two-year project is funded by the European Union’s Kolarctic ENPI cross border co-operation programme with a total financing of about 900 000 euros.

The project aims to enhance the flow of cross border information in order for Barents-related information to be more readily available for journalists, as well as the wider public. This will be achieved by producing and providing information about the Barents region, as well as promoting possibilities for media to operate in the region.

The project will be implemented by the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland (Rovaniemi, Finland) in partnership with TV Murman (Murmansk, Russia) and internet news portal BarentsObserver (Kirkenes, Norway). The associate partner will be Barents Press International, a 20-year-old network for journalists working in the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Together, the Arctic Centre, TV Murman and BarentsObserver will organize training courses and excursions for journalists. In the autumn of 2013, the project will organize the first ever common meeting for editors-in-chief from media in the Barents region. Additionally, TV Murman will produce a TV-documentary titled “Mixed Marriages”.

Barents Mediasphere is building on the strong expertise and motivation of all partners in producing and serving Barents-related information. Barents Press International, with its networks and long-standing experience, serves as an important cooperative partner.

The project will be led by Markku Heikkilä, Arctic Centre’s Head of Science Communication. Daily operations of the project will be run by Barents Mediasphere Project coordinator Virpi Komulainen, Arctic Centre.